Overstepping the Boundaries
by the-writer1988
Summary: The Doctor has finally admitted his feelings to Rose, but how will Jackie react when she discovers the nature of their relationship? And will the Doctor ever be able to take that last step with Rose? 10Rose fluff
1. The First Step Of Recovery

**This is the continuation of 'Red Dragon'. Please read all the information before going onto chapter one. :-)**

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**Series: **The Companion Series 

**Title: **Overstepping the Boundaries

**Author:** Leila-Rose-Bell

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **The Doctor has finally admitted his feelings to Rose, but how will Jackie react when she discovers the nature of their relationship? And will the Doctor ever be able to take that last step with Rose? 10/Rose fluff

**Setting: **Post Doomsday.

**Pairing: **Ten/Rose

**Main Characters: **Tenth Doctor; Rose Tyler; Martha Jones and Mickey Smith

**Notes: **This story is a continuation of **_Red Dragon_**. If you have not read that story or its predecessor, **_The Ties That Bind_**, you will not understand this story. **However **if you are reading this for some good old Ten/Rose fluff then you are welcome to do so, however there will be references to past events in the other two stories. If you are reading this for some good old Ten/Rose fluff, then you will not understand why Martha Jones and Mickey Smith are apart of the TARDIS crew.

**Spoilers: **All of the New Series 1 and 2, as well as the previous stories in this series: **The Ties That Bind **and **Red Dragon**.

**Disclaimer: **I do not have the luxury of owning Doctor Who; the BBC does. If I did own it, then David Tennant would never have the option to leave.

**Dedication: **This story is dedicated to more-than-words, who, without her wonderful help and constructive criticism this story would never have begun to exist!

**The Companion Series consists so far with the stories: **

The Ties That Bind

&

Red Dragon

ENJOY!

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**Overstepping the Boundaries**

**Chapter One: The First Step of Recovery**

_She was laughing manically; her fingers stretched out in front of her, a red dragon hovering above the cringing figure on the floor. Her once brown eyes were shadowed red and a sneer decorated her once beautiful face. To those around her, Rose Tyler was no more. _

_"You will die," she hissed at Derol Flynn, the man who had kidnapped the Doctor and had sentenced him to a future of imprisonment, but now that she had found him again, Rose Tyler could have her revenge. The revenge she had planned for so long was fast becoming a reality. _

_The humanoid on the floor shuddered as the red dragon drifted closer. "Please…" he whispered, "Please…I didn't mean to harm him…it was an accident! I'm sorry for any pain I've caused you…please! I'm too young to die!" _

_"Too late." Rose replied. _

_She flexed her fingers into a ball and watched with sick satisfaction as the red dragon attacked Derol viciously, tearing at his skin, everywhere it could reach. Blood stained the floor. Screams bounced on the walls, echoing around the lab and then he faded, death claiming him at last. _

_And all she did was laugh. _

Rose woke, gasping, sweat mingling down her forehead as her mind replayed images of the nightmare. The nightmare that had almost become reality. She closed her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks. Ever since she had beaten the Red Dragon she had been consumed by guilt. She'd only stopped her rampage because if she had continued then the Doctor would've died. It had been his words that had helped her in the end. He had told her he loved her, but she knew she didn't deserve it. After what she had done to him.

The Bad Wolf had begun to manipulate her shortly after her and the Doctor's reunion. That reunion had only happened by chance. A shadow creature of some description had been hunting the Doctor, but it needed Rose to lure him to it. Since she had been sealed inside a different universe it seemed improbable that the creature would have got hold of her. But it had. The creature had somehow got its hands on a device that had been used by the Time Lords to travel to different universes. Through that device Rose had been easily accessible. The creature had had her kidnapped and brought to its grounded ship on the planet Delia V. There the Doctor had found her and they had been reunited, though both of them had to fight for their lives. It had been her and the Doctor's mind link that had brought the Bad Wolf to the fore.

Despite the warnings the Doctor had given her, Rose had fallen under the influence of the wolf. With the Doctor having been kidnapped, Rose had, had no one to fall back on. Mickey and Martha had been helpful, understanding what she was going through, but still the Bad Wolf had nearly taken her - nearly made her kill Mickey, Martha, the Doctor and Derol Flynn. Despite the pain he had put the Doctor through during his three month captivity, Flynn hadn't deserved to die and thankfully she hadn't carried out the act. The Doctor had been weak but his words had brought her back from the darkness of her soul, preventing the Bad Wolf from completely owning her.

It had only been two weeks since that day. Three days had passed since the Doctor had told her he loved her but even she could not see the logic of why he still could. Especially after what her actions had caused him to feel.

_How can he love me when I've done so much wrong? _

* * *

"How's Rose coping?" Martha asked as she and Mickey walked into the console room where the Doctor was fiddling with the TARDIS. 

The Doctor sighed. "She's finding it hard to forgive herself. I don't think she believe me."

"Believes what?"

"That I love her."

"You told her then?" Mickey responded.

"I just said that Mickey." The Doctor smiled lightly. "Rose doesn't understand how I could after what she's done. Technically Rose did betray what I was to Derol Flynn but that was due to the Bad Wolf. The Bad Wolf used her body to send that message which then resulted in my capture and subsequent imprisonment. Rose blames herself since she feels she didn't fight hard enough to prevent that. I don't know how to convince her for real that I mean what I say.

"It's going to take a long time for her to heal herself." He concluded.

* * *

"Rose, are you coming?" Martha asked, poking her head through the doorway to the other girl's room. 

"No." She did not even look up instead she remained lying on her side on her bed facing the wall.

"Are you sure?" Martha had to try again.

"I said no." Rose replied a little more fiercely. "I'll just end up hurting someone else."

"Okay then." Martha moved away from the door allowing it to slide shut. She sighed and then turned back down the corridor towards the console room.

* * *

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, glancing at the house that stood in front of him. The Tyler estate. Rose didn't even believe that she had any right to speak to him and kept herself locked away in her room. When he had tried talking to her Rose had barely said anything, only responded with the minimalist words. So he had to resort to other measures. 

Jackie Tyler would be able to help her daughter.

So, he had sent the TARDIS to parallel Earth to invite Jackie onboard, if only for a while. He had spent nearly two hours explaining what Rose had done with the Time Vortex; how he had taken it from her and died for her; how a link had been formed and how she had nearly been destroyed when it had sought to take her mind. Jackie had been horrified by what he had explained to her, but she had understood that it hadn't been The Doctor's fault for Rose taking the Time Vortex in the first place. It had been Rose's decision in the first place.

And that had been the beginning. If only she had not tried to save him in the first place then perhaps none of this would've happened.

* * *

Leaving the Doctor, Mickey and Martha in the console room Jackie made her way to Rose' room. There she knocked on the door. 

"Go away." Her daughter's voice was barely audible through the steel door.

She sighed and pressed the button that would allow her entrance into her daughters room. As she stepped through Rose turned to face her. The words that had formed in her mouth were gone and Jackie could only watch as her daughter asked the question: "What are you doing here?"

* * *

Rose had been packing her bags, determined to leave the TARDIS for good. She didn't want to be around the Doctor anymore. 

Well, that was not true.

She did want to be around him because she loved him. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. But how could she after everything that had happened? What she had done…

She didn't deserve his love, she was sure of that.

She couldn't risk hurting him again with the power within her. She could control it now, but what if she couldn't? And lost it again? What would stop her the next time she was consumed? She had to get away from the people she loved. She would ask to return home, to her mother.

And then she would leave. Lose herself somewhere on parrallel earth so that she couldn't hurt those she loved.

There was a knock on her door. She did not look up as she continued to pack all of her belongings. Instead she spoke aloud, "Go away."

Those words were usually enough to deterr anyone from entering her room, so she was surprised that the door swished open and someone stepped through. Words formed on her mouth and as she swivelled round she was surprised to see her mother standing there.

The last person she had expected to see.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, stunned.

"I'm here to help." Her mother replied, sitting herself down on Rose's bed.

"How are you here?" Rose demanded. It seemed impossible that she was. Could she be hallucinating?

"The Doctor came and asked me to come and talk to you." Jackie replied. "He's worried about you."

"No he's not." Rose tried to ensure that her voice was not wavering but it was.

"Rose," Jackie grabbed her daughter by the arms and made sure she was looking at her before speaking again, "I know what happened to you. The Doctor told me everything. He told me he loves you, but you won't let him speak to you."

"Because I know that he can't love me after what I did!" Rose said stubbornly.

"If he didn't love you Rose he would've told you to leave straight away," Jackie said softly, "but he didn't. He wants to be with you, but you're shutting him out because you're refusing to believe the simple truth."

"The simple truth, mum, is that he **_can't_** love me, not after what I've done. No man or alien could." She stood up abruptly. "And that's why I'm leaving. I'm leaving the TARDIS, and coming home. And nothing is going to change that."

"Oh, Rose…" Jackie trailed off whistfully. "Give him a chance to prove to you that he means it." It was one last plea that she could offer. There was no point in arguing with her daughter; Rose was too stubborn.

"Mum…" Rose looked lost, "I can't. As much as I want to, I can't risk hurting him again."

"But you will be if you leave." The Doctor was standing in the doorway. He had been listening to every word.

**To Be Continued….**

**Please let me know what you think! **

**Anyone who leaves a review will get a hug from the Doctor! Yes, I know, resorting to bribery, but doesn't everybody in this day and age? **

**As this story is still a work in progress, and my final A-level exams are fast approaching, I probably won't be able to update frequently. But I will try to my best to update every two weeks. **

**Take care! **

**Leila**


	2. As Much As I Want To, I Can't Risk It

**Authors Note**

How brilliant was Smith and Jones? I loved it, fantastic. I am definitely looking forward to the next twelve Saturdays!

And, one more thing, THANK YOU for all the comments so far! They mean a lot to me!

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**Overstepping the Boundaries**

**Chapter Two: As Much As I Want To, I Can't Risk It**

He hadn't meant to pry on their conversation but he'd had a gut feeling that no matter what Jackie said to Rose, it wasn't going to work. He hadn't expected it to really, but he'd had to try. If Rose wasn't willing to listen to him then he had to involve her mother. Jackie would've been the only one able enough to convince Rose that he loved her. After all it had been Jackie who had noticed his feelings for Rose, even before he had known himself.

It had just taken him a long time to say it to Rose. His gaze was on Rose who turned away from him refusing to say a word, least she hurt him more, he suspected. Jackie silently left the room, with a slight frown of annoyance, but it was also one of understanding that she had done all she could.

"Are you not going to talk to me?" The Doctor asked quietly.

Rose remained silent. He could see her contemplating her options, wondering how she could answer him, without making him angry at her. He had to wonder why she felt he would be angry with her, but the answer came to him almost immediately. She felt guilty what had happened to him, and she couldn't accept that it hadn't been **_her _**fault. The Time Vortex was not something to be used lightly. It had been her decision to look into the Vortex to get back to him therefore causing his regeneration, but he hadn't expected a small part of it to remain inside Rose. The Bad Wolf had physically become a part of Rose, and had developed slowly during their last year before they had been separated by universes. And when they had been reunited and joined together in mind, the Doctor was certain, in a way, that the joining between them had re-woken the Bad Wolf.

She finally replied, but it was barely a whisper. "I can't."

"Why not?" he raised his voice only a little.

"Because I'll hurt you."

"Really?" He stepped forward, clasping his hands behind his back. "Do you really believe that words could harm me?"

"Some can." Rose replied, finally turning round and meeting his eyes. "Sometimes words hurt the most of all."

"How do you know you will hurt me by staying?"

"It's just a feeling that I have." Rose sighed and sat down, pushing away the suitcase she had filled. "I hurt you before and I can do it again if I stay."

"Rose," the Doctor sat beside her, forcing her to look at him, "you **_didn't _**hurt me. The Bad Wolf controlling you placed me in the hands of Derol Flynn, not you. Were you aware that you were doing that?"

Rose shook her head.

"Then it wasn't you." He said with urgency in his voice, hoping to make her understand.

"I can't risk the chance of it resurfacing again," Rose tried to explain, "If I'd gone all the way to kill Flynn, then I could've killed you. I can't risk it!"

The Doctor stood up and turned his back to Rose. He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. When he spoke his voice was soft and strained, as if he was trying to control his emotions. "A long time ago you said to me that you'd stay with me forever."

The Doctor turned back to Rose, laying his startling brown eyes on her face, seeing the sadness filter across her face. He walked towards her, slowly, keeping his eyes upon her. "Did you mean it?"

He watched her face. She kept her gaze locked on his but he could she that she was hesitating before she answered. "You know I did."

"Can you deny it now?" he asked. In one motion he crossed the room and placed his lips on hers, kissing her tenderly bringing it into a passionate one before he moved away, watching her reaction as her mind whirled over the act that he had just done. "How could you contemplate leaving now when we both know that you meant that statement then and now?"

Rose shrugged not understanding how he could read her so well. She didn't want to leave , but her mind was telling it was the smartest thing to do, but her heart was saying otherwise. She loved him more then anything and yet her actions had caused him a lot of pain that he hadn't need to suffer through. She did know that he loved her for who she was before the Bad Wolf business and putting that incident aside she could see in herself what he loved about her, but now she saw no reason for him to love her. She had to know out of anyone in the universe, why her?

"Doctor?" she asked.

"Hm?" Brown eyes found hers.

"Why do you love **me** when you have the choice of anyone in the whole universe?"

The Doctor was silent - a wash of emotions spread across his face. She could see in his eyes the agony that he still held, the hurt and guilt that had plagued him before he had regenerated. For a moment, Rose could see the old Doctor but then that image faded. He spoke only one sentence. "You helped me to learn how to live again."

Rose's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?" she asked softly, but a buzzing in her brain told her what he was talking about and she answered her own question. "The Time War."

The Doctor nodded and began to speak, and Rose did not dare to interrupt him, listening as he told her how he had survived the greatest disaster the universe had ever seen. He did, however, turn away her as he spoke, as if he was afraid that he would frighten her away with what he said.

"Everything was burning. The whole planet was blazing with fire. I could feel the emotions of death running through my brain; hear children crying, woman watching as their loved ones perished. The Time Lord Council were the first to go. The Daleks targeted them first, knowing that if they wiped them out their path to destroying my people were clear. TARDIS' were malfunctioning, Daleks swarming over the planet, killing everything in their path. No one regenerated. A Dalek death ray means death. There was no escape for the Time Lords that were hit. For some reason, I don't know why, my TARDIS was still functioning. There was one thing that I could do to try to save them, even if it meant wiping everyone out. There was no way we could win the battle. I did the only thing that I could. I pressed the button and unleashed a terrible power that killed everyone. The Daleks were gone. I died instantly…but I woke up in the TARDIS. I'd regenerated. I didn't know what had happened. My memory began to return and I realised that Gallifrey was gone. And so were my people. I could no longer feel them in my head - I was alone. I don't know how I survived. All I know was that the blast that I caused sent the TARDIS flying through time and it landed in March 2005. "

A slight smile came to his face as he turned his head around to focus his eyes upon Rose.

"You met me right after that?"

"I did. I stayed in the TARDIS for a few days before I picked up the signal of the Nestene Consciousness. And then you stepped into my life. You saved me Rose from falling into the pits of despair. If it hadn't been for you I would never have learned to live again or to love…" he trailed off. "You were different from my other companions; most didn't stay long. You were the only one to ever say that you wanted to be with me forever. You risked everything, your whole life and soul to come and rescue me. You were foolish but brave. You were different from all the other humans; anyone I had ever travelled with. You wanted to be with me. No one's ever said that to me before.

"Rose, no matter what you think, I love you and I always will."

Rose dropped her head onto her chest, sighing heavily.

He pulled her into a hug. He whispered into her ear. "Please don't leave me again." He sounded so broken that Rose could not bear to break his heart again. Hugging him back she said, "I will stay, but I don't know how long for."

**To Be Continued….**

**Please let me know what you think!**

**So, will Rose stay with the Doctor or will she leave? **

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**Next chapter should be up soon. **

**Until next time, **

**Leila**


	3. Powerful Memories

**Thank you for all the reviews so far! **

**A/N**

This chapter may seem a bit disjointed, but hopefully it isn't.

**References:** From The Runaway Bride (Xmas Episode), and Red Dragon (my story).

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**Overstepping the Boundaries**

**Chapter Three: Powerful Memories**

When Rose woke the following morning she was startled to find the Doctor's arms wrapped round her. They had fallen asleep together on the sofa in the TARDIS' living room after the Doctor had persuaded Rose to leave her room and come and watch a feel good movie. Picked out by Martha, the film documented the story of a young human girl coming to terms that she was falling in love with someone of a different race. The film had been made in the year 2022 and had won several Oscars. The film mirrored the Doctor's and Rose's relationship and showed how a human girl could fall in love with an alien from Mars, who had antenna sticking out of his head.

_Unlike the Doctor, _Rose thought, _he didn't look human. _

She moved only slightly but it was enough to wake him. He stirred, blinking his eyes rapidly as he wondered where he was. Then he turned his head to see Rose, smiling up at him. She whispered in his ear. "Thank you."

He didn't know what she was talking about, but he responded as if he did, hoping it would fool her. "It was my pleasure."

However Rose did notice. "You have no clue what I'm talking about do you?"

"Um, not really. I'm still tired." The Doctor replied.

Rose laughed. "I thought you never sleep."

The Doctor frowned. "Not strictly true. I do sleep; I've just been sleeping more then usual."

"Why?" She was quite suspicious. It was very rare that he slept and when he did it was only for a few hours at least.

"No reason." The Doctor shrugged the question off quickly. He couldn't tell her - not yet.

"You're keeping secrets from me." She announced.

Silence reigned between them.

_What are you hiding from me? _Rose wondered.

Finally he responded. "I've been thinking a lot lately. I've lost everyone. My whole family, my home and I nearly lost you. I'm afraid that I'm never going to see you again."

"You got on all right before when I left," Rose replied, wrapping her arms round him, "You found Martha."

"You don't know how long I spent trying to find a way through the Void to get to you before Martha walked into my life."

Rose was silent. She didn't know. She had assumed that he had just found her immediately, but when she considered it, Martha hadn't known much about travelling with the Doctor.

"I had no one for a year and a half. Well," the Doctor looked up, gazing at the ceiling, "that is if you don't count Donna in a wedding dress."

"Donna?" Rose quizzed.

"Oh, some woman who was walking down the aisle when she suddenly appeared in my TARDIS."

"She did what?"

"Appeared in the TARDIS."

"You hadn't left the doors open by any chance?" Rose teased.

"I was orbiting a super-nova at the time. I'd just said goodbye to you. It would be a bit impossible for a human woman to wander into the TARDIS when it wasn't on Earth in the first place."

"Didn't stop me."

"You were with me then, Donna wasn't. I'm telling the truth! She just literally appeared in the TARDIS seconds after I'd said goodbye to you!"

Rose sniggered, raising her eyebrows. "I'll forgive you this time for cheating on me." She smiled and then leaned into kiss him. "You know I'm only teasing you." She whispered against his lips.

"Didn't sound like it." He was just playing along. As Rose pulled away from him, the Doctor shifted his position, leaning into her again, pressing his lips firmly against hers; his arms wrapping round her body as he pushed her back onto the sofa. Rose was vaguely aware that his tongue was in her mouth, but then he pulled back suddenly, worry in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"I went too far." The Doctor lowered his head.

_He was ashamed? _Rose thought. _How could he be ashamed? _But then, as she considered, she had nearly gone too far in her decision yesterday before the Doctor had talked her out of leaving. She couldn't blame him, but if he loved her as he said he did, why would he say he had gone too far? A gut feeling settled in her stomach. _Maybe this was all an act. Maybe he's toying with my emotions. _

"I know what you are thinking."

Rose's head snapped up. "What?"

"You can't hear my thoughts yet. I only catch your thoughts every so often."

"The link, then." Rose remembered. Ever since they had been reunited they had both been aware of a link that had formed between them. Every so often they could connect their minds together and speak to each other. Rose had a feeling that this communication would open itself entirely, but she didn't want it to. It was another way for the Bad Wolf to hurt the Doctor. But the problem with that was he could still read what she was thinking yet it didn't work vice-versa. She had no clue how to prevent him from doing that either and she was afraid to ask him to.

But then a thought invaded her mind.

_I love you Rose Tyler. _

Rose focused her eyes upon the Doctor and smiled lightly. "I know."

The lightened feeling that Rose had felt only moments before had darkened. The Doctor knew what she was thinking.

"You want to leave because you fear harming me."

"Yes." It was the truth.

Placing his hands firmly on her shoulders, he held her, his brown eyes boring into hers. "Listen to me Rose Tyler. You control the Bad Wolf now. It is not an evil entity now. It once was but you defeated it. When you defied it at Derol Flynn's lab it went, because it knew you were too strong. It will always be a part of you, but you can use it for the right purposes this time. Even if you feel angry and something happens it will not reawaken the bad entity. The Bad Wolf can never harm me again, it won't affect you either. If it did I would have asked you to leave, no matter how I feel about you. Alright?"

She nodded, feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry, but I can't forget what I've done."

"Then I'm going to make sure you come to terms with that."

* * *

However the Doctor didn't even have a chance to help Rose come to terms with her worries, since memories of his captivity began to assault his thoughts and dreams. 

_He was hauled into a chamber, one that was dark and a horrid stench reached his nose and he gagged, coughing. He felt sick. He hadn't felt like this before, not in a long time. The three Desdins hauled him onto a metallic table. Rough hands pulled his shirt off. He began to shiver immediately as very cold air attacked his skin. By rights he shouldn't even feel affected, but Derol Flynn was making sure he was suffering. Two of the Desdins held him down; one holding his hands above his head in a tight grip while the other kept a firm grip on his ankles. His eyes glanced around the gloomy chamber and spotted the other Desdin sharpening a cruel knife, before turning round and focusing its eyes upon him. _

_Returning to his side, with the knife in its hand, the Desdin began to cut his skin; blood began to pour from the wounds created but he would not yield to their demands. They wanted to hear him scream. But he couldn't give them that satisfaction. He had to be strong for Rose._

_For Rose, his mind thought again. _

_He could barely breathe as a wash of panic spread into his system. His breathing became laboured. He was panicking. Mists began to cloud his mind but he could still hear the excited tones of the Desdins. Every inch of his body was on fire. And then, abruptly, the sharp pain stopped. _

_"Have you had enough now Time-Lord?" the one holding the knife asked. "Go on, give us the satisfaction we need." _

_Another slice of his skin. He bit his lip determined not to yell out. Finally he said: "No." _

_Defiance was not what they wanted. Obedience - he wouldn't give them that. _

_"Then you will suffer more until you obey." One said. _

_Abandoning the knife to the floor, the Desdin stalked over to a cauldron which held hot liquid inside. Scooping it up in ten goblets, he carried them over to a small table beside the metallic one. Holding one of the goblets up, the Desdin tilted it slightly. Hot, orange liquid fell onto his skin, burning his body even as the liquid burnt the wounds together. _

_His head was spinning. Immense agony. Fire running through his soul. So much pain. _

_The second goblet, the third, the fourth, and then the fifth. _

_It was too much at once. He couldn't hold it any longer. _

_He screamed. The Desdins began to laugh. One released its hold on his ankles and picked up the knife. Returning to the table the Desdin slid the sharp edge along his cheeks, cutting the skin, before the other one poured the burning liquid onto the freshly made wounds. Once more he screamed. Why weren't they stopping? He had submitted. Why continue?_

_A sharp hand grasped his head, its cruel dark eyes boring into his. "You punishment lasts longer. You got off easy the first time; this time you won't."_

_"Please…" Perhaps politeness would help his situation. _

_"Oh look Riaj, it's trying to talk." _

_The others chuckled. Retrieving a dirty rag, the one named Riaj stuffed it into his mouth. He nearly gagged but stopped himself. _

_They pushed him off the metallic table and he fell with a crunch to the floor. Laughter. Within minutes his hands and feet were bound into the cold floor. All three of them picked up a whip each. Three cracks and then immense pain as all three of the whips barrelled into his back at once. Even with his mouth gagged he could still scream. _

_And he did. _

_Laughter. _

_"That's it. Let's hear that voice again." _

_Again, again and again. They didn't stop until he began to fade. _

_Blackness eventually overcame him. _

The Doctor woke. He had been resting and had not expected to fall asleep. He shook his head trying to clear it, but the images kept invading his mind.

"Doctor? Are you alright?"

Rose was standing there. "You were screaming."

"Was I?"

Rose nodded in affirm nation. "Please tell me. I told you what I was afraid for you. Now it's your turn."

She was right. He could not avoid telling her what had happened to him during his three month captivity. She had always known something was up with him. And he thought he had hidden it better from her. Obviously, he had failed.

His eyes met hers and he began to speak.

**To Be Continued…**

**Please let me know what you think! **

**In the next chapter the Doctor and Rose have a heart-to-heart and really discuss things, but the question is, will Rose stay? Will probably include a few references to the first two series. **

**I hope everyone is having/or had a good Easter!**

**Until next time, **

**Leila-Rose-Bell**


	4. The Truth Comes Out

**A/N**: Thank you for all the reviews so far! I've just gone back to school today for my last year of A-levels, so chapter updates for this story probably won't come as often as they did. I do apologise, but I will try to continue to update when I can.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Overstepping the Boundaries**

**Chapter Four: The Truth Comes Out**

"Before I say anything, I want you to promise me that you will not blame yourself."

Rose nodded, however she held back for only a second before agreeing. Secretly she could blame herself, he wouldn't know.

"Do remember that I will know whether you blame yourself, Rose." He placed a finger on his forehead. "Link?"

"Can't you trust me?" Rose asked as softly as she could muster.

"I can, only if you absolutely mean it. Rose, things are different at the moment. You are blaming yourself, but you think we don't notice, but we do. And you know what? I blame myself too. So does Mickey and Martha."

"How?" she asked dubiously. The entire Bad Wolf crisis had been her fault.

"I wasn't clever enough to escape, and Martha and Mickey? Because they feel they failed my request to help you. We're all partly to blame. You battled hard for your soul. If you hadn't been able to fight back against the Bad Wolf at the crucial moment then I would have died. But you did. In fact when you look at the facts it was **my** fault in the first place for sending you back home from the Game Station. If I hadn't done that then you wouldn't have come back."

"Yeah, but we'd all be dead." Rose added.

The Doctor went quiet. Oh why hadn't he considered that? Surely someone as smart as him would've been able to see the holes in his theory before he had even said it. Instead it had all lumbered out of his mouth before his brain had been able to examine the facts. And Rose had found the holes.

"You weren't meant to know that."

"I know," Rose replied sadly, "but if I hadn't come back in the first place, you would be dead, and so would I, because I would have nothing to live for."

"But you do now and yet you want to let it go."

Rose was silent. After a minute silence, in which the Doctor kept his gaze on her, Rose finally said, "I know. I've told you why - so I don't hurt you again."

"And I've said that you will be hurting me if you leave."

Rose stared at him before she voiced her words again. "I came here because I heard you shouting in your sleep. And once again we're talking about me, and not you. You have issues with what happened to you and you don't want me to know, do you?" She didn't even give him time to disagree with her. "Which indicates that you blame me. Tell me the truth."

The voice that came from her mouth was commandeering and powerful.

"I may have issues, Rose," The Doctor said, "but the reason I didn't want you to know about what happened to me because I knew that you would blame yourself regardless, which is why I was going to tell you at a later stage, once you had healed." He shook his head sadly, running his fingers through his hair. "Rose, I love you, but if we're to go anywhere we're going to have to trust each others decisions." He looked at the floor. "I do trust you, which is why when you asked about what happened to me I would've told you without any fuss."

"They why ask me not to blame myself when you surely know I will?" Rose asked.

"Because if you don't blame yourself then it will be clear that you don't hold yourself entirely responsible. At the moment you still see that it is. You weren't even there when I was hauled off to the chamber, but due to what I experienced there you would still blame yourself."

Rose fell silent. It was **_her _**fault. How could it not be? "I'll leave. I'm sorry I disturbed you." And then she was gone, leaving him alone in the room.

* * *

Rose was alone, sitting in her room. Her bag was once again half-packed, but for some strange reason she couldn't bring herself to do the rest. It was wrong of her to leave, she knew that. This was her home. The TARDIS was where she belonged. She belonged to the Doctor. She loved him, how could she not? They were connected. It was as if fate had intended for them to be together. If she ran, she would be denying herself a future. 

No, she had to stay. She had to stop saying that it was her fault.

"It's not my fault," Rose said softly, "How can it be? When it's our own choices? The Doctor sent me away but I defied him. I'm choosing to say its my fault because it feels like it. Yet when I think about, it can't be. His choice was to protect me, but I choose to ignore that." She suddenly felt bad. For the first time since the incident she was beginning to think it through.

It wasn't her fault entirely because if the Doctor hadn't sent her home then they would be dead. It was his choice on the Game Station that had led to her taking the Time Vortex into her to save him, which had ultimately led him to take it from her to save her life.

"I've been such an idiot. The Bad Wolf made me doubt myself. " she shook her head, laughing softly. But the odd thing was, she no longer felt guilty. How could the air clear so quickly when it had been covering her for the last few weeks?

Rose had chosen to understand and not dwell on the past.

And she felt better because of it.

* * *

The Doctor was fiddling with the controls of the TARDIS while Mickey and Martha watched him. He wanted to take Rose somewhere that would help her, but he didn't where. Out of all the places in the universe there was nothing perfect for his Rose. He suddenly heard the sounds of footsteps coming his way and before he could even glance up, feminine hands had grabbed his face turning him away from the console. Before he could register anything in his mind, he felt Rose's soft lips against his. 

She pulled away, her brown eyes boring into his own. He slight smile twitched at his lips. And then he leaned in, placing his hands around her back, gently pushing her towards him, his lips touching hers as he returned the kiss she had given him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the retreating backs of Mickey and Martha.

"What changed your mind?" he asked, a grin on his face.

"I used my head." Rose stated simply. "Something I should probably do more often."

"So you realised it wasn't your fault?"

She nodded. "I still feel guilty, but I don't hold myself entirely responsible anymore." She smiled slyly. She pushed him back with a gentle shove. "In fact I blame you."

"That's good to hear!"

Rose did not question him over that. The Doctor seemed happy enough that she **had** realised the truth, but the question now was, would he tell her about what happened to him? Before the question could even form on her lips the Doctor had already answered.

"Yes I will."

She raised one of her eyebrows expectantly. "Are you reading my mind again?"

He just grinned.

She reached up and kissed him again, before firmly sitting him on one of the chairs beside the console. She took the other and held his right hand. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to begin.

* * *

He told her everything. He did not miss out any detail. He spoke of what Derol Flynn had done to him and what he had suffered through for three months. Rose had known that for him it had been that long, whereas with her it had only taken a week. She did wonder how he had held out for so long, and the answer surprised her when he explained his reasons for defying his captor. 

"It was you."

"Me?"

He nodded only once. "Yes. I knew that the Bad Wolf entity would take an advantage of you; that it would try to convince you that it meant no harm and that in the end it would be able to twist your mind to follow its orders, but the thing is Rose, you unconsciously fought it, which is why it gave me hope. Even when you stepped into that room to kill Flynn , I could see the hesitation in your eyes, see it in your soul, so it hadn't entrapped you, but the Wolf thought it had. I had hope that you would succeed even if you thought it wouldn't be the right thing to do."

"Did you know before I entered that room that I was still fighting it?"

"I did," the Doctor hesitated before continuing, "but a part of me did give up."

Rose decided not to question him about that. "How did you know that I was fighting it then?"

He tapped his head. "Link. The Wolf did block me and to an extent so did the drugs Derol used on me, but I think they counteracted each other. I got fleeting emotions and stray though through but I couldn't send anything." He shrugged. "But that doesn't matter now. It's over and we're home."

"You make it sound as if this is my home." She joked.

"It is, if you want to stay, of course."

"I do." She smiled. As she got up to leave, he spoke again.

"One other thing."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"This thing between us…"

"Relationship?" she added teasingly.

"Sorry, the word feels weird when I say it so I don't really want to." He shrugged, trying not to show his embarrassment.

"You were saying?" she prompted.

"This…relationship between us will go slow. One step at a time. I'm a bit uncomfortable about this."

"Yeah, of course." She could understand why he would want to take the relationship slow. He was afraid of hurting her, of not doing the right thing. After all it had taken him years to utter the words 'I love you'. Still, they were going to be together, whether it progressed or not.

Nothing would keep them apart.

She would not lose herself again, and she wouldn't let anyone take him from her.

**To Be Continued…**

**Please let me know what you think!**

**A nice little chapter ending there. But the story is not over! **

**Until next time,**

**Leila-Rose-Bell**


	5. Agathangelos

**A/N) **Been a while since I updated, sorry about that. I've had a lot of trouble with this chapter. I started it at least five times before I felt happy with where it was going. Plus deadlines of coursework as well were getting in the way. Today was the last day of when we could hand in coursework, so all I've got to look forward to is exams.

Very nervous about posting this chapter, but I hope its worth the wait. It does start off right in the middle of a situation, sort of, but everything will be explained of why they came to be there.

Enjoy! (And it's a long chapter too!)

* * *

**Overstepping the Boundaries**

**Chapter 5: Agathangelos **

Rose woke with an aching head. She blinked rapidly as she tried to work out where she was. One thing she did know was that it was dark. She tried to move her hands, but discovered they were cuffed to a stone wall. "Doctor?" she whispered quietly.

There was no answer.

"Martha? Mickey?"

"I'm here." Martha responded.

"Me too." Mickey replied.

Still, there was no reply from the Doctor.

"Are you both chained?"

"Yeah." Martha responded, while Mickey only grunted.

Rose leaned back against the wall. "Then there is no way out."

There was silence for a while, before they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. The door to their cell opened and in walked a guard. He carried two flaming torches with him, which he then placed in holders located on two opposite sides of the walls. Behind him followed two other guards, dragging with them a limp body, which Rose recognised immediately as the Doctor.

Rose felt her breathing subside as she watched the guards hoist him up onto the only bed in the cell, securing his wrists to manacles that hung from the ceiling, while his ankles were chained from the floor. Then they left, leaving the torches in place.

"What have they done to him?" Rose choked. He was just lying there, completely still, as if he was dead, but then his chest rose and fell, but no other movement suggested that he was waking.

All it had been was a simple trip to a tropical forest on a far-off planet. The TARDIS had accidentally, according to the Doctor, materialised in the tropical forest that belonged to Queen Agathangelos of Clarvont. The guards had apprehended them and brought them before her. She had signalled out Rose and Martha, explaining that they were not of any use to her, but she disliked killing woman, so had ordered them to be confined in a cell. Both Mickey and the Doctor had been dragged off in an opposite direction. Mickey had been brought to their cell about an hour later, and had explained simply that the woman had examined his features and ordered that he was not worthy of her attention. Presumably, the Doctor was the one who was worthy, since he had been gone for at least another two hours, after Mickey had been brought to the cell.

No one knew what to say, so they fell into silence, debating in their minds if there was a way they could escape.

Time seemed to pass as the silence reigned on. After what seemed liked hours, though was probably only twenty minutes, there came a sound from the Doctor. All eyes turned to him as he slowly woke.

"Doctor?" Rose asked, trying to edge closer to him, though knowing it was useless as the chains binding her were not long enough for her to reach him.

He was moaning softly, his eyes flickering underneath his eyelids as he struggled to wake. Ten seconds passed and they flickered open. "Oh, god, I'm not still here, am I?" He finally looked around, catching sight of Rose, Mickey and Martha. "You're all right." He said it in a way as if he had thought them to be dead.

"What happened?" Rose asked.

"She told me you were dead."

"Who?" Martha asked softly.

"The Queen." The Doctor blinked rapidly.

Rose immediately felt her anger flare up. "Why would she say that?"

"She wanted me to give in. She tried to read my mind; I can stop people doing that. She was trying to break the barriers. She knows I know you three are still alive which is why I'm here."

"Did she read my mind?" Mickey asked.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, she did. She knows I'm not human through you, and that has intrigued her."

"Intrigued her, how?" Rose asked, now quite suspicious.

"Um…" he trailed off, probably feeling slightly embarrassed. In the little light available to them, Rose could just make out that the Doctor was going slightly red.

"Come on, what is it?" Rose demanded.

"Because I'm not human, she believes that if she got…..pregnant through me…then the child would be extremely powerful. Can we just forget I said that please?"

"What?!" Rose shook her head, feeling flabbergasted. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't say that for a laugh." The Doctor replied. "And she was pretty intimidating in the room and all…"

"Can't you just say no?" Mickey asked.

"Don't be silly. She has more control over us then you think. She's a queen of her people, and they need an heir. Every suitor she rejected; she's been looking for the perfect person, which so happens to be me. I'd rather it be Mickey then myself though."

"That's nice." Mickey rolled his eyes. He leaned back against the wall.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Rose asked.

The Doctor was silent, taking small, deep breaths. He was contemplating, that she could see, but would he provide an answer? She hoped he would, otherwise they would probably die. Finally, he spoke, breaking the silence that had stretched between them. "Rose, you won't like this at all, but in order for all of us to get out, you'll have to do it."

"Do what?" her voice was small, and frightened. She had a feeling what he was about to ask her.

"You need to use your power."

Those six words was enough to make her choke. "No, I can't. It's too dangerous. I said…"she stumbled for words. "That I would never use it again. It will consume me!" her last sentence was one of frustration.

"You have to."

"Why? You know what happened last time!" her voice was rising. "I nearly killed you! Do you want me to go down that dark path again?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, but it is the only way. How are you three going to get out when I'm taken again? You won't be able to! Rose, you're the only one with the power to succeed! If you don't learn to trust yourself, you never will!"

His words hurt her, cutting her deeply. "You don't trust me."

The Doctor nearly let out a scream of anger. He managed to repress it before he let loose; instead he spoke calmly. "Rose, if I didn't trust you, I wouldn't ask you to do this."

Utter silence fell in the gloomy cell. He had done all he could. It was now up to Rose to save them all.

* * *

Agathangelos sat back against her cosy cushions, considering the two men she had inspected. Could one of them even be considered a man when he wasn't even human? Being the Queen of her people, she had been blessed with the power to read into peoples minds, but this thing, whatever he was, was impenetrable. He had constructed shields around his mind; barriers that she had not been able to push past. He had intrigued her. Fascinated her. He was strong, especially for someone who was skinny and didn't look like they had any power at all. Whatever he was, he was hers. 

But why did it seem wrong to her?

Dismissing that thought, Agathangelos called: "Nidar!"

A guard walked into her living quarters. "Yes, my Queen."

"Prepare my quarters. Inform the Captain of Prison One to bring me the brown haired prisoner. Get him prepared, make sure he is tied down securely."

"I will do your bidding." The guard bowed low, before departing her living room. Her quarters were just down the hallway.

Smiling to herself, Agathangelos departed her living room to get herself ready.

* * *

The cell door opened, and four guards stepped in. Two of them made their way over to where the Doctor lay. They released him from the bindings. Forcing him to a sitting position, they ripped his jacket off, as well as his tie. They undid the buttons of his shirt and forcefully pulled it from his body. 

"Oy! Leave him alone!" Rose yelled.

The guards ignored her.

One knelt down, but received a kick in the face. The Doctor tried to struggle away. But his effort was pointless as two of the guards forced him to the floor; this time succeeding in ripping off his plimsolls.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Rose yelled again. Without warning something flashed from her hand and impacted against the opposite wall. She froze. The guards stared at her.

"Come on," one grunted, "we'll leave her for later."

They pulled off his socks before hauling him to his feet. Holding his hands behind his back, they pushed him forward and out of the cell. The Doctor turned his head to look at Rose, and she could just make out the words that he was miming to her.

_"You must use your power." _

The cell door slammed shut, bolts slid across, leaving them alone.

"You should do what he asks." Martha was the only one brave enough to confront Rose.

"You think?" Rose spat. "If I knew I could control it, then I would do it, but I can't. I didn't will myself to use it just now! Martha, if I use my power, I will be consumed. I'd rather die then allow myself to harm either of you."

"You defeated it though." Martha added, not backing down.

"That's not enough. I don't want this power that the Time Vortex gave me! It needs to go! Forever! But it never will! I vowed that that I would never use it again, and I'm not about to break that."

"It might just save him." Mickey said quietly. "He believes in you, Rose. He believes that you can do this. You can't live without him. You two are so close; nothing can separate you. The Void didn't, and neither did the Bad Wolf entity. You fought it because your love for him was strong. You may have lost your way, but you fought. You continued to fight. And you won. Rose, looks at me."

Rose had bowed her head, but at Mickey's plea she raised it, focusing her brown eyes on him. "Yes?"

"I have faith in you."

That was all he said.

Lowering her head, Rose breathed slowly. Mickey was right. She had defeated it. Closing her eyes, taking deep breathes, she reached out with her mind, summoning the power within her. It sparkled white and purple. With little effort she sent it racing through her hands. A white purplish light spread from her fingertips, and a dragon formed. She felt her chains loosen and then fall to the ground.

Opening her eyes she discovered that she was completely free. A small smile came to her face; one of relief. She sent the purple-white dragon towards Mickey, and finally Martha, releasing them both from the bindings that held them.

"I did it." Rose was looking at her hands, hardly daring to believe that she had succeeded. She had feared that the power inside her would have produced a red dragon, but from what she had deduced by the power that she had used, was something that was pure.

It represented pure love. She was using her power for the sake of the ones she loved; not for revenge like the red dragon had symbolised. She marvelled at the thought that she had been afraid for all this time at something so trivial.

"I was afraid that it would be red. But this shows pure love." Tears seemed to form in her eyes, but with a little bit of effort she forced herself to stop. Turning to the others she gave them a grim smile.

Both of them returned it.

"Right, lets get going."

Focusing her will once again, Rose sent out the purple-white dragon. It flowed through the locked door, opening the locks that held the cell door shut. As the door swung open, Rose let out a laugh.

"Come on."

They ran from the cell together; onward to the palace gardens.

* * *

They had dragged him through the palace gardens and into the palace. They had taken him straight to the Queen's bedchamber and tied him down securely on the bed. His wrists tied to the bedpost, and his feet held down as well. He didn't like the predicament he was in. 

_I swear that queen is delusional. Thinking that I'm the 'perfect mate'. _He had blissfully thought that it had been all a dream, but waking up in the dark cell and only confirmed the truth to him. Glancing up at his wrists, he tried to pull them free, but the ropes bound to the bed post where tied in three double knots, preventing him from even pulling himself free.

He shouted in aggravation. He only realised then that noise would only prompt the queen to hurry up. _I hate this. Now, if she was Rose, I wouldn't mind being in this position. _The words that roamed through his head made him go completely still. He swallowed, contemplating what he had just though.

Rose.

The fact that he was thinking of going through the same act with Rose complicated matters.

The door opened and in stepped Queen Agathangelos, wearing a long silver, satin dress. She wore on top a thin cardigan, that came down to the floor.

_Yeah, this is definitely not the time to think about sleeping with Rose. I've got other problems to solve first. _

* * *

They had succeeded in infiltrating the palace without anyone noticing. The palace was huge. The hallways were long and turned in all sorts of directions. What concerned them the most was the presence of no guards. They found it odd for a queen not to have any guards stationed anywhere. Perhaps she didn't think anyone would dare to waltz into her home. 

They searched three corridors before realising that it would take them forever to even find the right room.

She did not like using her power again, but Rose realised that it would be better for her to use it. She knew she had a link with the Doctor, and she hoped that she could home in on his signal.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked, as she stepped up beside Rose.

"Tracking." Rose replied simply.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. The link between her and the Doctor wasn't that strong as it had been, however she was not going to worry about that at this moment. She could, however, sense the part of the Doctor that had merged with her. She couldn't place his exact place, but she knew roughly what direction he was in.

"Stairs. Two floors." That was all she said as she led Mickey and Martha away.

* * *

It was definitely not the situation he wanted to be in right now. Agathangelos approached the bed he was tied to, a nice smile on her face. She sat on the edge of the bed and began stroking his face. He tried to squirm away but failed to do so when she grabbed his hair with her other hand, holding him completely still. 

"I'm a perfectly nice lady," she said in a sweet voice, "why are you struggling away from my advances? I've grown up to believe that men like this."

The Doctor snorted. "In case you hadn't noticed, I am not human. I'd rather it be Rose who was doing this to me then you."

_Oh, that was stupid thing to say…_

Agathangelos straddled him, sitting on his hips. "I've seen this girl, Rose, through the other man's mind. She is ugly. A stupid bitch who is so not your type. You'd rather be with her then the most beautiful person on the planet?"

"Yeah, slight difference here," The Doctor didn't care what he said now; he had caught a sense that Rose was looking for him. "I love Rose Tyler, and contraire to what you think, she is the most beautiful woman in the entire universe. You do not compare to her."

"You dare to insult me?" her voice was low and filled with anger.

"Yes. You did, after all, insult the woman I love. I don't take kindly to that. And would you get the hell off of me!" he was almost yelling.

"No one orders me to do anything."

He was about to reply when she kissed him forcefully on his lips.

"Gerrof!"

He would've pushed her off if he'd been able to. A hand sneaked up to his chin, pulling it down low enough so she could slip her tongue into his mouth. She still had a grip on his chin, otherwise he would've bitten on her tongue, regardless of who she was. What did she expect him to do? Sit back and enjoy it while she had her tongue down his throat? If she did, she didn't understand humans at all. Even though he wasn't human, he still felt that applied to him since he did look like a human.

"Hmmm, tasty."

"You sicken me." The Doctor replied, his eyes stirring with anger.

"Surely that is what your own woman would do?" Agathangelos asked.

"Unlike you, she wouldn't force her tongue down my throat. She would be careful, making sure that I wanted that." He was angering her, he knew that, but right this moment he didn't care.

"Things must be different where you come from," Agathangelos admitted. "Woman are the rulers of each house, whereas the men are just their for producing heirs, preferably girls. Men do not have power here." She laid herself down on top of him. "You have no power, whereas I have. Why not sit back and enjoy it?"

Before he could make a reply, she was once again exploring his mouth, as well as stroking his hair with one, fine-tuned hand.

"For one thing, it is not with me, and two, you are simply not his type, and three he can't have children."

Agathangelos jumped up, staring at the three people that stood in her bed-chamber. "Who are you?"

"Rose!" The Doctor felt relief. Now he wouldn't be forced into doing something he didn't want to do.

"Shush you." Rose snapped.

He was about to comment again, but saw her head move sideways for a few inches. He fell silent, realising this wasn't the best time to say something, that was undoubtedly going to make matters worse.

"Now Agathangelos, do you think you are better then me? More powerful?" Rose asked, rising her eyebrows.

"Of course I am," the Queen replied, placing her hands on her hips. "I am, after all a Queen. You are nothing more then a common maid."

"Really?" Rose turned back to Mickey and Martha. "Can a common maid do this?" Stretching out a hand, the Doctor watched as a white-purple dragon emerged and started to prance around the room, not causing any harm, but the appearance of it had entranced the queen. Her eyes were wide and filled with wonder.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

Rose smiled, kindly. "I was given these powers by the gods for being nice to men and not forcing them into doing things that they don't want to do."

_Now that's a big fat lie, Rose Tyler,_ the Doctor thought. He knew why she was doing it and he had to say that she was doing a good job of it.

Agathangelos' face seemed to fall. "You mean, if I'm like you, I will achieve this powers to?"

"Yes. Give men more freedom; do not use them for mindless ways. Men and woman are equals. I used to think like that. It wasn't until I realised that we are both the same. Without men your people would die out. If you favour girls, how do you expect for them to produce children, when you neglect the men? Pure love is the way to accomplish that."

The Doctor felt like grinning but he knew if he did that, his expression would give the game away. Rose was trying to convince Agathangelos to release him and change the ways how women treated men. Yes, she was lying about Agathangelos gaining the same power that she had, but that was no big deal. By the time she realised that, they would be far away from the planet. Plus, the woman was hungry for power, and that was the only way to convince her to do what was right. Still, he did worry that the Queen would see through the deceit.

Minutes seemed to fly by as Agathangelos thought over what Rose had said. She sighed, walked over to the Doctor and began to release his bonds.

"You're right," she spoke to him, "Rose Tyler is truly someone remarkable. She's a goddess compared to me. When I was a little girl I used to wonder why our society was the way it was. A part of me has always rejected the way we live, but my mother was a strong person and over time she changed my views, but I always thought our lives could be different."

"You're letting me go?" he asked.

Agathangelos nodded. "My people need an heir, which is why I did what I did, but perhaps I should wait until I find pure love. I don't know whether I can change our laws. Some women are happy with the power they hold, but I never have felt right with it. I also thought that producing a child would change my views, knowing that I would have pleased my people."

"Do you want power though?" Rose asked, softly.

"I do and I don't." Agathangelos admitted. "I would never achieve the same power as you anyway." She turned around, and walked to the window, looking down upon the city below her.

"Now go, before I change my mind."

* * *

They sat alone in Rose's bedroom in the TARDIS. The Doctor held her hand, both leaning against the wall. 

"I'm proud of you." He spoke softly in her ear.

"You are?" Rose smiled up at him.

"I certainly am. You discovered that using your power is perfectly alright."

Rose sighed, placing her head against his shoulder. "I feel pure. Do you know what I thought when I realised that it isn't bad as I thought it would be?"

He shook his head, playing with her hair. "No I don't."

"That it represented pure love. Is that true for us?"

He smiled softly. "It is. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She felt her cheeks warm. "I thought you were uncomfortable about a relationship between us?"

"I am, but I feel more secure. If you knew what I was thinking earlier…"

She placed a finger on his lips. "I don't want to know. I think I can guess what you were considering in that dirty mind of yours."

"Well, you are much nicer then Agathangelos."

"And your goddess…" Rose lifted her head to press a kiss on his lips. Their position shifted, as she felt herself fall softly onto her bed, with the Doctor on top of her. She realised he was shaking, feeling nervous. She gently lifted his mouth away from hers and stared into the adorable brown eyes. "You're uncomfortable about this."

"I know." He smiled in return. "I'm not going as far as that yet, Miss Tyler!"

"I realised that."

"Good." Placing his lips once more upon hers, the Doctor gently changed position so that they lay side-by-side. He didn't know how long he kissed her for, but he felt that he was ready to progress further in their relationship.

**To be continued…**

**Please let me know what you think!! **

**I think there are about 3 chapters left of this story. I'll try to get it done before my exams, but I can't promise anything. **

**Thank you for all the support so far for this story! **

**Until next time, **

**Tenth-Doctor-Fan (formally known as Leila-Rose-Bell)**


	6. Embarrassing Situations

**A/N) **Thank you for all the reviews so far! I've got my exams starting in about three weeks, so I don't know how much I'll be able to get done before I begin taking my A-levels. I have started revision so that is taking up most of my time, however I will try to get this story finished before 23rd June, as that is when I'm going on holiday.

Plus, I have also started a new story, which has nothing to do with this series, so if you're interested, please check it out!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Overstepping the Boundaries**

**Chapter 6**

**Embarrassing Situations**

Martha sat by herself in the library, reading a romantic novel by Sig Lan Treter. The novel had been written in the year 2539. The author was human, but the name was so weird she had not been able to decipher whether the writer was male or female. She didn't really care - the book itself was generally interesting. It was a historical novel, set in the year 2007, and the author was trying to recreate the 21st Century. However, much of the detail was out of context.

"What are you reading?"

Engrossed in the novel, Martha hadn't realised that someone else had entered the library. She dropped the book on the floor. She glared up at the person who had dared to interrupt her. "You just had to do that, didn't you?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Didn't mean to. You were the one who reacted."

Martha grinned. "Bit silly of me to do that." She found the page she had been reading and slipped her bookmark in, marking where she had got to. Placing the book on the floor, she glanced up at the Doctor. "What do you want?"

"Advice."

Martha raised her eyebrows, then a cheeky grin crossed her face. "Are you planning to propose?"

The Doctor's eyes widened and he managed to splutter out: "No." Then, calming himself, he continued, "Time Lords don't get married. It would ruin my lifestyle."

"Hmmm," she felt curious, but did not press for more information. "Then, why do you want to talk to me then?"

The Doctor pulled up a chair, sitting himself comfortably on it before he continued, "I don't know where to go."

"I'm a bit lost here." Martha said. "What do you mean?"

"Where to take Rose. I want to take her someplace special…just somewhere different."

"There's another motive?"

"Sort of." The Doctor shrugged, not wanting to answer the questions.

"I won't ask." Martha replied. _What would be a nice place to go? _She thought back to all the places the Doctor had taken her before he had found Rose again. Then one hit her. "How about The Red Gardens? But instead of during the day, go when the sun is setting. You told me the planet has beautiful sunsets. And, if your thinking of staying for a couple of days, I do recall there was accommodations on offer."

"Actually," the Doctor pondered, "That doesn't sound bad." He began to pace round the library. "I wonder if they take bookings or do we just turn up? Hmmm, something to look into." He turned back to Martha, a big smile on his face. "And thanks for your help, Miss Jones."

"No problem." Picking up her book, Martha continued to read, leaving the Doctor to his own devices.

* * *

"Where are we?" Rose asked, as the TARDIS shuddered to a halt. 

"Parallel Earth. Thought it might be a good idea to inform your mother of our relationship. Not really looking forward to that confrontation, I might add, but it can't be that bad."

"Oh, you never know." Rose stood close to him, winding her finger through his tie. Stepping on her tiptoes she pressed a kiss to his lips, slipping her tongue inside his mouth. His hands were gently stroking her back, slowly winding themselves down, until they were resting on his hips. She shuddered, a gentle warmth winding itself round her. Moving away from him, she smiled.

"You're very cheeky, you know that." The Doctor answered.

"But that's why you love me."

They stepped away from each other when the sounds of footsteps could be heard, and Mickey and Martha emerged, carrying two bags. Rose looked at them oddly. The Doctor had been acting a strangely for the last week or so, rushing around. He had even landed somewhere and not let her out of the TARDIS, claiming it was too dangerous for humans. She had to wonder if he was planning something.

"Come on." He said brightly, rushing out of the TARDIS.

"What has got into him?" she glanced at Mickey and Martha. Both were grinning. _Of course, they know what's going on. _"Are you two leaving or something?"

Martha shook her head. "Mickey and I are just going for a short break, but we'll be back."

_Yep, they definitely know something I don't. _Frankly it didn't really annoy her that they knew what the Doctor had been up to. She supposed that it must all be a surprise for her. She wasn't going to ask either. She would just wait and see what he was up to, whenever he got around to revealing it.

Shrugging, Rose followed Mickey and Martha out of the TARDIS and found herself in the familiar front lawn of the Tyler Estate. She sighed as memories came flooding back to her. Even before the Doctor's return to her life, this mansion had been her home. The place where she had learned to live on and recuperate. It held strong memories for her. In the early days of her time on Parallel Earth she had not been able to get on with her life, instead moping around, wondering how she had got into this mess. The heartbreak wouldn't have been so bad if she hadn't gone back to her original universe and tried to help the Doctor. She had nearly died in that endeavour. After learning her mother was pregnant, Rose had made a promise that she wouldn't let down her younger sibling and so had applied to work at Torchwood. Two and a half months had passed and then she had heard the Doctor calling to her. That had been the saddest day in her life, on that Norwegian beach. That goodbye had closed her previous life forever. She had never expected for a dark force to bring them back together.

She wondered how long it had been since she had seen her mother. By her own reckoning it had been at least three months, but for all she knew it could've been a year. She hoped not though.

"Hey, Rose!"

A smile returned to her face, as she saw the Doctor leaning out of one of the first floor windows, waving.

"Your mother wants to see you! She says she'll hurt me if you don't come in and see her!"

"You're just exaggerating!" she replied. However she did jog to the house and let herself in.

Immediately she found herself being hugged by her mother. She kissed her mother's cheek before stepping back. "It's good to see you. It's been a while."

"It bloody has been a while!" Jackie retorted. "Six months! Six months since you left! Emily misses you."

Rose gasped. "She remembers me?"

"Course she does. She's thirteen months old now. Walking and talking the lot."

"Hang on," Rose remembered, "You came to see me in the TARDIS. How long ago was that for you?"

"Six months ago."

"So we departed and then we came back, like a few days later?"

Jackie nodded. "You did. I could see that something bad had happened to you. The Doctor told me it had been three months for him, whereas it was about a week for you. He said that you had locked yourself in yer room for about a week. He came to see me about four days after you left."

"Oh…" Rose lowered her eyes. "Sorry. I'm over that now. Things have changed between us."

She had expected her mother to start the probing questions, such as: "Are you sleeping with him? Why can't you be with Mickey? He's such a lovely lad…" However, even looking at her mother's face, Rose realised that her mother understood their relationship, and had seen it coming.

Before she could comment, she heard the Doctor shouting: "Could someone come and help me? She's trying to pull my hair out!"

Rose giggled; a mental image popping into her head of little Emily pulling all his hair out. He probably wouldn't look good bald. She took the stairs at a run, coming to the first floor in a matter of seconds. As she reached the nursery she heard a small voice shouting: "Hair! Hair! Hair!"

She approached the room and leaned on the door frame. The Doctor was sitting with his back to her, his legs crossed, holding Emily in his hands, however her smalls arms were free, allowing her to reach out and grasp his hair. She was trying to pull it, but was failing to do so.

"Need a little help?" Rose asked, laughing.

"Um, yeah, please!" The Doctor sounded a bit desperate. "I have no desire to lose all my hair to an infant. And a girl at that!"

Rose made her way across the room, sitting herself beside the Doctor, and gently pried Emily away from the Doctor. Holding Emily up to her, Rose rubbed her nose against the babies small one. Emily squealed and then said: "Rosie!"

"Hello, you." Rose smiled. "This is the Doctor." She turned Emily around so that her eyes were focused on the Doctor.

The little baby giggled, before saying. "Hairy doggy."

"_Hairy Doggy?_" The Doctor sounded annoyed. "How did she come up with that?"

"I think she likes your hair. And she can't say Doctor. Doggy is the most obvious."

"Uh, huh…." He was flabbergasted. "No one in nine hundred years has ever referred to me as a human dog before."

Rose laughed. "Until Emily can speak properly you'll have to get used to it!"

"Can't I just use the TARDIS to skip forward in time?"

Rose shook her head. "Nope. Besides I think the name suits you."

"Oh, that's nice. I'm so happy you have such a low opinion of me." The Doctor pouted.

"Awww, is the poor Doctor feeling neglected?" She teased, whilst doubling up in laughter, still holding her baby sister.

"A bit." He glared back in return.

"I'm sure we can do something later that shows that you are not being neglected." Their was a suggestive tone in her voice.

"Um…" He felt himself going red and he stood up so fast that he swayed, feeling dizzy. "Um…I need to check on something."

With that he walked out of the room, both hands clutching at his hair.

_What did I say wrong? _And then Rose realised. What she had suggested had scared him. He thought she was thinking of them sleeping together. If she could've hit her head then she would've done. With that simple suggestion, she had changed the nature of their relationship. She was pushing him too far, too quickly.

He wasn't ready, and when she thought about it, neither was she.

* * *

The Doctor was walking towards the TARDIS when he heard Jackie calling him. He turned around, ready to yell at her, but seeing the sad look on her face, relented. He smiled softly as she approached him. "Yeah?" 

"I need a word with you." She said.

He shrugged. "Sure."

He followed Jackie round the side of the house, and into the back garden, where right at the back, secluded by trees was a small terrace, with chairs and a table. Jackie nodded for him to sit down; she sat facing him.

"I want to talk to you about Rose." She stated firmly.

The Doctor nodded. "I understand."

"I'm glad you do," Jackie added softly, before continuing. "Doctor, please be truthful here - I would have asked Rose this - but she may be too embarrassed to answer."

"I'd be too afraid to lie to you Jackie."

"Good." Jackie sighed. "I'm just going to come out with it. Have you slept with Rose?"

"What?" his voice was squeaky, and he felt his face redden. "No." He ran his hands through his hair, trying to calm himself. Why was he feeling like this? Embarrassed for no reason at all! He'd done nothing wrong. Jackie couldn't read minds, could she?

"Do you plan to?" Jackie replied.

The Doctor swallowed. "Would you slap me if I said yes?"

He saw her glaring at him, and he flinched, expecting a slap to come his way, but nothing came. "No. Everything you've done for me and for Rose I have never forgotten. You love her, and she you. I can't stop you doing what people in love do. It would be cruel of me to try and separate you two. Even if I may not like the idea of having an alien grandchild, it doesn't mean I will love it any less. Well, do you?"

How could he answer that question? To be frank, he could just say yes and get that question out of the way. In fact the whole break he had planned for Rose would probably lead up to that point. Mickey and Martha were staying with Jackie and Pete for two months, while he took Rose for a two-month break in her original universe. Mickey and Martha had been planning their little stay with the Tylers for the few days, while the Doctor prepared arrangements for his own vacation.

"It will probably come to that," he admitted.

"So that's a yes then?" she asked. Her voice was quite stubborn now.

He nodded, knowing that he couldn't deny it. He was certain he would receive a slap, but nothing came.

Then she spoke again. "You're compatible, aren't you?"

"What?" The Doctor felt himself going the shade of red again. He nodded his head. "Yes, of course."

Jackie fell silent, and he looked at her, noticing the sadness in her eyes. "What's up?"

Jackie sighed. "I'm losing her, Doctor. I don't want to. She's my daughter…I always thought that she and Mickey would hook up one day. It never crossed my mind that she could actually love you. I thought she would crave the existence of a normal life in time. I hoped that when you changed, she wouldn't stay with you…but that thought was fruitless. Her feelings had only intensified…I realised then that I had lost her."

The Doctor lowered his head. "Sorry for ruining your grand plan for your daughter."

"Oi, don't be cheeky." She hit him harmlessly on the arm.

They stayed in silence - the Doctor didn't know if he could just leave; he didn't want to risk the wrath of Jackie Tyler. She finally stood up, turning to stand in front of the chair he was currently sitting in. "I'll see you later."

He nodded. He had no idea what to say.

As she walked away, back towards her house, Jackie turned once more and shouted to him: "I hope you're planning to marry her!"

He froze. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no; that was definitely not an option, but Jackie didn't need to know. He just gave her a small smile before she retreated, leaving him to think alone in peace.

* * *

The Doctor sat under the shade, debating what to do. He didn't know what to say or think. Rose had made a suggestion earlier that sounded like she had been thinking of sleeping with him. 

That had scared him a lot.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair, making it stick up in all directions. He rubbed his hands down his face. Since Rose had managed to get over the fear of using her powers, their relationship had changed. They had been travelling in the TARDIS for about two weeks before all the arrangements had been made, but in that small space of time things had been different between them.

Rose had never been in his bedroom before and he had let her in. They had shared a little nap together after talking and spending time kissing. He loved spending time with her. He had, by accident, walked into her room when she had been getting dressed. She had only been wearing a pair of jeans and a bra. When she had turned round towards him, asking him what he wanted so casually, he had just gone red and walked away, feeling too embarrassed to say what he had come to say.

_What is up with me? Heck, two and a half weeks ago I was thinking about the same thing! _Once again he pulled at his hair, frustrated by his emotions for Rose. All at once he felt that he wanted to take that last step with Rose, and another part of him wanted to run and hide in the nearest parallel universe.

Standing up, he slowly made his way back to the TARDIS, where, he hoped, he would find some peace and quiet.

* * *

Picking up another bag of clothes, Rose walked towards the TARDIS. She turned back as she reached the blue box, waving goodbye to her mother, father, Emily, Martha and Mickey. She smiled at them before slipping inside her home, dragging her bag with her. 

"Doctor?"

He was no where to be found. She shrugged, not feeling any concern. She had watched him walk into the TARDIS earlier, looking agitated. He probably had forgotten that they were leaving so soon. She took her bag to her room, plopped it down on the bed and then left her room to return to the console room. On her way she heard the distinct sounds of the Doctor muttering. She found him pacing in circles in a small room. The door was slightly ajar and she could hear his every word, every ounce of stress that passed through each of his words.

"…say? How can I tell her what I feel? Oh, she knows. Don't be so stupid…."

She saw him shake his head, running his fingers through his hair, making it even more messier.

"Argh…why did I have to develop feelings for her in the first place? It's ruined everything…."

Her mouth fell open, and she felt a sense of overwhelming sadness reach her. He didn't want her. Was this what this trip was all about? Him admitting he no longer wanted her company? That he no longer loved her. She felt tears pool into her eyes.

He was speaking again, "How can I say that? I love her. I love her. I always have done. I've never regretted asking her to come with me….how can I even think that my life would have been better without her? Don't be silly. It would be worse if you had never offered. You would have regretted it!" His voice was getting louder, but when he spoke again it was much more soft. "I hated having to say goodbye to her on that beach - I tried to get back to her - but I couldn't. Everything I did was a complete failure. I love her so much…I want to spend the rest of my life with her…how can I do that when I can't even take the next step forward? My heart tells me I'm ready but I'm so afraid…so afraid…what can I do? Tell me what to do, please."

He seemed to be begging, but who was it?

Rose then heard the murmurings of a language she didn't recognise. It was his language; the only dialect in the universe that wouldn't translate for her.

"She heard me say that?"

Rose froze, her heart beating fast, as the Doctor emerged from the room he had been in, his eyes widened as he saw her. She saw faint anger in his eyes and started to move away from him, but he grasped hold of her, pulling her close to his body. He whispered into her ear, his soft voice was enough to calm her racing nerves.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have heard that. I didn't realise you were there. I'm so confused up here," he pointed to his head, "not sure what to say, or what to do, or how far to go with you. I don't know whether to take it fast or slow…whether you want the same things as I do…"

"Doctor," she placed a finger on his lips, preventing him from speaking, "I know you're not ready, and neither am I. Part of me thinks the same as you. Why don't we see what happens over the next few days? Hm?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "probably would be a good idea."

She could tell that he was still terribly upset, but he was feeling much calmer.

"I probably scared you, didn't I?" he asked.

"You did." Rose admitted.

"Will this change your mind?"

Before she could answer, he had turned her round, pressing his lips to hers, running his hands through her hair, pressing his body close to hers. When they parted, she smiled at him: "I feel much better too."

"Good." He gave her a soft smile before taking her hand and leading her back towards the Console Room.

**To be continued…**

**Please let me know what you think! **

**Three chapters left to go…what will happen next? I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. **

**Until next time, **

**Tenth-Doctor-Fan**


	7. Changes in Relationship

****

A/N) Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! Exams are starting this Wednesday so I probably won't be able to update for a while, but I will try my best to.

WARNING: This chapter does not qualify as M-rated, but it comes close to it.

* * *

Overstepping the Boundaries

Chapter 7

Changes In Relationship

The TARDIS shuddered to a stop. Rose held onto the console as she was nearly flung back. The Doctor, however, had not been holding onto anything and fell. He scrambled to his feet, grabbed Rose by the hand and bounded out the door.

"What about the luggage?" she asked.

The Doctor stopped, looked over it and shrugged. "We can leave it for now. Come back to it later."

"Okay."

"Come on. Places to see, a Rose to impress."

She blushed. She looked at him slyly, but did not comment. _What was he up to?_

Almost running out the TARDIS, Rose felt herself being pulling along at break-neck speed. There was something the Doctor wanted her to see, but what was it? She could see a deep red sky, with pink clouds trailing past in the slight breeze. "Doctor?"

"Hurry now! We've arrived just in time!" he shouted back before she could even get the question from her lips.

After a few more minutes running she found herself at the top of a hill, looking out across a vast expense of lands. The sun was setting, darkening the sky. She could see blackness beginning to form, intermingling with the red sky. Everywhere she looked were shades of red. She felt her mouth falling open as she found herself marvelling the magnificent view. Off to the west was a sparkling sea. It was pale pink as the sun descended, its sparkling rays glittering against the surface.

"It's beautiful." Rose whispered, her hair flying lightly in the wind.

"You think?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Yeah. We've only just got here but this…this is absolutely amazing." She smiled up at him, leaning her head back against his chest.

"I suppose I'd better be honest then," he murmured into her ear. "This wasn't my idea."

"Who's was it then?" Curiosity overcame her.

"Martha's." he replied, kissing her lightly on her cheek.

"You bought her here then?" Rose continued to probe.

The Doctor nodded. "I did. She wanted to go somewhere lovely. The TARDIS brought us here. When I was last here I wondered what you would have thought about it. I regretted not taking you somewhere like this before. I wasted two years. Half the time we ended up on Earth. I got too attached to the planet. I had to think of your mother as well."

Rose nodded, realising why they had spent so much time on Earth.

"With Martha it's different. She doesn't have any family left. We rarely visit Earth now. Well, until I found you again."

"Hey!" Rose slapped him on the arm. "That's not fair!"

The Doctor grinned at her. "Got to keep Jackie happy. Ohh, that rhymes. Got to keep Jackie happy! Sort of, anyway." He shook his head. She was laughing at him.

"She really scares you, doesn't she?" Rose asked.

"Yeah…only a bit." He defended. "She likes me now."

Rose laughed. "Only because **_this _**you is more fun."

"You didn't like the other me?" The Doctor looked crestfallen.

Her hands shot to her mouth and she shook her head, stepping away from him. "I didn't mean that. You know I didn't…I'm sorry…I didn't think." She dropped her head, feeling annoyed with herself.

Soft fingers gently pulled her head up until she was staring into his brown eyes. Leaning down he pulled her closer to him, so that the bodies leaned into each other; their lips touching as their kiss became more passionate. When they broke apart, she could see the love in his eyes. "You didn't insult me anyway," His lips curled and he kissed her again, running his hands through her hair.

"Shouldn't we be doing this somewhere more private?" Rose asked, as they parted once more.

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't care."

"You should do," Rose raised her eyebrows and leaned in closer to his ear. "There are two people looking at us and they don't seem very happy with out public display of affection."

The Doctor moved so fast that when he saw the couple his face went red. "Erm…sorry…got over enthusiastic."

Standing in front of them were two humanoids, both seemed to belong to some sort of cult as they wore the same style of dressing. They looked angry, and a little mortified. One stepped forward, brandishing a hand, that pointed straight at Rose: "You two should know better. Public display of affection is wrong. We have been taught that. You should have been as well."

Rose glanced at the Doctor.

"Play along," he mouthed at her.

"I was." She nodded. She curtseyed quickly. "This charming young man….you know what they are like…I am sorry…I was trying to tell him but he wouldn't listen."

"Then you should be more careful around the males in future."

"I will." Rose addressed them, confidently.

The two nodded at her, but glared at the Doctor as they walked past. He shifted his feet and said "Sorry.".

When the two were gone, Rose looked at him. "What the hell was that all about?"

"They belong to a cult that believe relationships should not be seen in public. They usually live on the other side of this world. They rarely travel here: very typical of me to attract their attention."

"You like the attention." Rose replied, eyebrows raising. "All those girls tagging after you….everyone who you've travelled with…"

"Now, Rose Tyler, enough of that." The Doctor smiled, his voice lowering without each passing syllable. "There is only one person for me…"

Their lips were so close together.

"And who is that then?" Rose giggled. They were half-way down the hill they had been standing on when she felt herself being pressed back against a tree.

"Hmmm," The Doctor looked like he was thinking hard, "I think that is too hard to answer," he whispered again. He pressed his lips onto hers, slowly tasting her lips with his tongue.

Rose sighed. She gasped as his tongue slipped inside her mouth, exploring every inch. He pushed himself against her, as she ran her hands through his hair. She groaned as his hips brushed hers. _If only, if only we were somewhere more private…_

"This is wrong."

The voice startled Rose dragging her out of her thoughts. "What? What's wrong?"

"What I just did." He shook his head, running his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry, Rose…I can't, not yet."

Yes she was disappointed but she knew he wasn't ready for that step yet. She smiled sadly at him, grasping his hand in her own. "I know. Come on, take me away from here."

He returned her smile but there was a stiffness in the air that prevented them from connecting again. Any word she spoke came to nothing, silence travelled between them. And Rose didn't know what to do.

* * *

She was sitting in the hotel room alone. The Doctor had taken her to the hotel they would be staying in. On first glance she had thought it looked wonderful and romantic, but the Doctor's lack of communication made her not appreciate it enough. She didn't know where he was, presumably in his own room, but she had a feeling that he had upped and left her. 

_Don't be so silly Rose. The Doctor wouldn't leave you._

Rose sighed, leaning back on the bed, wondering where the man she loved was and what he was doing.

* * *

He stood outside Rose's door, holding a bunch of flowers. His knuckles were raised to knock but he couldn't bring himself to. "Come on, get a grip on yourself. It's Rose. You know her. You can't be this scared. I want to ask her to go for a walk, that is not hard. Seriously." Taking a deep breath he rapped loudly on the door. 

"Doctor." Rose smiled at him as the door opened.

"These are for you. Some roses for a very pretty Rose." He tried to smile, but a shade of red came across his face, making him feel embarrassed.

She pried the flowers from his hand and smelled them. "They are very nice."

"I was wondering if you wanted to go for a midnight stroll."

"Yeah, let me just get my coat."

"You won't need it." He replied, before moving out of the door frame to allow her to pass. "There's a cool breeze, but it is still quite warm. Besides you look fantastic as you are."

She blushed as he saw his eyes travel up and down her body. She wore short jeans to just below the knees and a shirt that was open to just above her chest.

"Come on," he slipped his arm around hers, leading her outside the hotel and down a path that led to a cliff, that in turn overlooked a sandy beach. There was nobody around. Stars twinkled in the sky as they looked out at the sea that brushed gently against the shore. Rose leaned her head back against the Doctor's shoulder, taking in the smell of the sea air.

"This way," he whispered into her ear.

He took her down another path that led right down to the beach. It was quite steep and several times he had to catch her before she fell. When they reached the sand, the Doctor instructed her to slip out of her shoes, and as she placed her feet on the golden sprinkles, warmth spread into them. She watched him kick of his own plimsolls and walk barefoot towards the pink sea.

Above them stars twinkled. "Where's Earth?" Rose asked, catching up to the Doctor and wrapping an arm around him.

He frowned as he sought it out. "There." He pointed up to a planet that looked very distant. "That is actually the Milky Way, since we are too far away to actually see the planet."

"What galaxy are we in then?"

"Erm…I'm not entirely sure." The Doctor admitted.

Rose raised her eyebrows and laughed. "That's a first. You not knowing that."

"I don't know everything you know." He replied.

Rose stifled a giggle. "What else don't you know?"

"Now that's a stupid question to ask." The Doctor groaned. "I do know the name but I just didn't want to say it! I don't want to sound too smart all the time!" He sat himself down on the sand, laying out with his hands tucked under his head. Rose joined him, laying beside him on the soft land.

"Sorry," she whispered, "for making you feel like that."

"Feel like what?" he replied, slightly confused.

"That you have to be smart all the time."

The Doctor shook his head. Particles of sand mixed with his hair. "That's not what I mean." he hesitated, not sure how to proceed. "I just…I suppose I wanted to not be too smart for my own good. I know a lot of things, yes, but sometimes too much intelligence can be your own downfall. God Rose, you must feel stupid compared to me. You probably wonder why I love you considering your background. I could have anyone in the entire universe, but I picked you. I told you this before and I'm going to say this again, but you helped me live again. If you hadn't, I'd be a miserable old sod. And for some reason, no matter how hard the universe tries, it can't split us up. Something out there knows that we are meant to be together. I feel it in my hearts. No matter how you see yourself, you aren't a dumb human. In fact, you are a very smart human. You, Rose Tyler, are the epitome of humanity. And I love you and I will always."

Rose felt herself blush. The Doctor tuned his head, pressing a kiss on her lips, wrapping his arms around her as he rolled on top of her, pressing her further into the sand. His tongue flicked out, tasting her lips, then he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. Rose ran her hands up and down his back. His hips rocked against hers as he lost himself in their kisses. He hands were running down her body, touching her through the simple clothing. Then she felt his hand slip under her shirt, his fingers trailing softly up her skin.

She gasped as hand came into contact with her bra, and he slipped his hand underneath to stroke her breast. The soft touches against her skin made her moan in pleasure. As they stopped their kissing, Rose opened her eyes to see him staring down at her, a smile on his lips.

"You know what?" he whispered huskily.

"What?" she asked in a rather seductive tone.

"I quite like this position."

"Hmm," she reached up with one of her hands and pulled his head down, pressing a tender kiss to his lips, running her tongue over them before slipping her own tongue into his mouth. His hand stopped the movements on her breast as he slipped his hand out of her shirt. She gently extracted her tongue from his mouth and stared up at him.

He smiled at her before rolling off her, dragging her with him. He rolled onto his side, bringing her against him. He kissed the top of her head, running his fingers through her hair. "I love you Rose. So much."

She glanced up at him, looking deep into his brown eyes. "Me too."

To be continued…

Please let me know what you think!

Next chapter will definitely be an M. I hope everyone is okay with that!

Until next time,

Tenth-Doctor-Fan


	8. Dancing the Night Away

This chapter is **M-Rated**, due to adult situations.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. I'm in the middle of my A-level exams but have now got this chapter completed, so I thought: why not post it? Please, do, enjoy!**

* * *

Overstepping the Boundaries **

Chapter 8

Dancing the Night Away

"Good morning," the soft voice in her ear woke her from the dream she had been having. Opening her eyes Rose found herself laying in the Doctor's arms; a cool sun beating down upon them as it rose in the sky.

She yawned, stretching her body before curling herself up against him. "We stayed on the beach all night?"

He nodded. "I've been watching you sleep. You were so beautiful in the moonlight."

She blushed pink, embarrassed by his words. "I liked last night."

"Me too." He replied, kissing her throat. Each tender kiss left her wanting more. "I could do this all day."

Rose thought. It excited her and frightened her. Was he thinking of taking that last step? 

"Rose?"

"Yes?" she looked at him, smiling at his sparkling, always full of life brown eyes.

"Erm…"

There was silence, complete silence.

"What Doctor?"

She glanced at him once again to see him biting his lip, trying to decide what to say to her.

"I was wondering…" he started, "if you would like to dance with me." His eyes widened as he finished and he released his hold on Rose, bringing his hands up to his face. "Forget I said that. Ignore me. Look I've got to go."

In an instant he was gone, rushing up the pathway they had taken the night before to get to the beach. Rose sat up. "He is ready," she said to herself, "but he's afraid to take the step." She smiled sadly, feeling sorry for him. "He's scared of commitment because he thinks he will lose me. One day he will. I can't live forever, not like him."

Getting to her feet, Rose slowly made her way back up the path and headed back towards the hotel.

* * *

He sat alone in the TARDIS, his feet propped up against the Console as he thought through everything: his relationship with Rose, his life, his feelings…everything bombarded his mind. He had already accepted that he and Rose would be together and that they would eventually sleep together - he just didn't know how to go about it. 

"I'm over nine-hundred years old! She's, what? A girl of twenty-one? It's immoral of me to sleep with her, no matter how much I want to."

Are you afraid to lose her?

He glanced around, a slight smile at his lips. "Yes. You could say that." He was responding to the TARDIS. "I always have been…afraid. She's…" he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Rose…saved me from the darkness part of my soul…she was the bright star of my life…and I love her. I'm afraid to lose her because I love her so much and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

You never know…that could be possible.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "You're playing tricks with me."

Why would I do that?

He shrugged. "I don't know. To make me happy? To make me feel better about bedding her?"

I would not lie to you.

"Rose and I can't be together forever. She's human and I'm a Time Lord. I'll lose her one day."

And yet you want to express your love for her. Why can't you accept that you don't know everything about her yet?

"I would know if Rose had changed that would enable her to live for far longer than an average human!"

There are some things that you are not ready to know yet because I have yet to figure out the full truth. Rose is one of them…there is something about her.

"I already know about Rose. She absorbed the Time Vortex! That's probably what you are sensing."

Yet something has changed within her. It was not evident after the Vortex incident, but has been since she returned to the TARDIS. There is something there. You two are connected - you can speak to each other in mind - no human has ever had the ability to communicate to you like that.

"Reinette did and she didn't absorb the Vortex.." He said in a low voice.

No she didn't. But she found her way into your mind. She does not have a mind link to you that Rose has. She is different and there is something within her that makes her different from other human-beings. I have monitored her everyday. Her cells are not regenerating every day like human ones do. The last scan I did on her, her cells were decaying every week. Something has changed; to what extent I don't know yet.

He sat there, wondering what this meant. But not even his brilliant mind could figure out what was happening to Rose. Perhaps the Vortex had done something to her, but had laid dormant until the Bad Wolf had been unleashed…perhaps that had kick-started her system? He shook his head, running his long fingers through his hair. There was one thing he wanted and that was Rose.

His conversation with the TARDIS had helped him, but not in the way he had expected. Denying himself of the thing he wanted most would be the most stupidest thing to do. Rose was human, but that didn't prevent him from loving her. Her presence made him happy, feel normal from the burden he carried of being the last of his kind. Worrying over the future about the prospect of losing Rose would not help their relationship.

He would have to take the chance.

Smiling lightly, he began to think about what he could do to make their night together a special one.

* * *

"Rose, would you care to come to dinner with me?" 

When she had answered the door, the one thing she had expected was the Doctor, but not looking like he did. He wore a black tuxedo, his hair combed nicely on the top of his head. For once it wasn't sticking up.

"You look nice." She commented, as she stepped out of her room. She had quickly changed into a red dress that fell to her ankles and had clipped her hair up. He took her be the arm and led her out of the hotel. They turned left this time and headed into the small village where the hotel was located. They strode along the main street before coming to a stop outside of a restaurant that was called:

"De Layers?" Rose asked, curiously.

The Doctor nodded. "Yep. Don't ask me why its called that. I have no idea myself, and I'd rather be spending time with you then trying to figure out why the restaurant is called that." 

"And the food is edible, yeah?"

"Should be, was last time." The Doctor looked at Rose's expression. "It was the only restaurant open at the time when Martha and I were here. Besides we chose to go in the friends area rather then the 'romantic couple' area."

Rose giggled and then said slyly: "And what area are we going in then, hmm?"

"Oh," the Doctor feigned innocence, stretching out the time, making Rose wonder. "Let's see, we're not quite romantic partners yet, but we are more then friends…" he wiggled his eyebrows in her direction, causing her cheeks to blush rosy red. "But, I think due to this special occasion we should go in the romance section."

"That's fine by me."

"If you'd complained I would have wondered why."

Taking her hand he escorted her into the restaurant, hoping that his plan would not fall to bits.

* * *

After two starters, a large main meal and a medium sized dessert, it was time for them to go. They had been sitting in a parlour of their own, looking out to the sea, as the sun set against the back-drop. Stars had begun to appear in the sky. They had both shared a drink of medium wine, two glasses each. Having paid for their meal, the Doctor led her on a walk round the village. Stars twinkled above them as they strode along together; Rose's head resting on his shoulder. He smiled down at her. 

"Come on," he spoke softly, "let's get you back to your room."

"Already?" she asked, sounding very disappointed that their time together had come to an end so quickly.

"Yeah…I've got something to do."

"Oh." Her voice sounded crestfallen.

He hated lying to her, but it was all part of his plan, though when he thought about it he wasn't lying to her, Rose had just interpreted it that way. He smiled as he wondered what exactly the love of his life would think when he wasn't going to leave her that night.

* * *

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." Rose said as they reached her hotel room. She still sounded downhearted. Unlocking the door she stepped inside; the Doctor following her in, closing the door behind him. 

"I suppose so," he answered, "but first I wouldn't mind doing this."

Stepping forward he lifted up her chin and pressed a soft, but enticing kiss to her lips. As she moved away, he pulled her back to him, pressing his body close to hers. He explored her mouth with his tongue, enjoying the sensation of her tongue pressing against his. Her hands were around him now, holding him tight against her.

Moving her back towards the settee he urged her to sit down. She pushed herself away from him, suspicion in her eyes.

"I thought you had important things to do."

"I do and this is it." He answered. "You misinterpreted what I said." A small smile curled at his lips as he saw a red tinge on her cheeks. "Embarrassed?"

She nodded. "I overreacted didn't I?"

"You did." Leaning forward again he pulled her down to sit beside him and then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "This night is meant to be special, and I intend to make it so that you don't forget it."

"Doctor?" she asked, her bright brown eyes focused entirely upon him. "Are you thinking what I think you are?"

He smiled. "My special Rose." Hooking his arm around her, Rose felt herself being lowered onto the settee, with him placing himself on top of her. His bright brown eyes shone into hers. He wiggled his hips causing Rose to blush once more.

"Oh." She could feel something hard resting on the inside of her leg through the dress she wore. "I see."

He lowered his head, so his lips were by her ear. "I want you Rose, right here, right now…" he trailed off, waiting for her answer.

With her hands, she threaded her fingers through his hair, ruffling it up, and then pulled him into a kiss, pushing her own hips up against his. She heard him moan. Her hands moved down from his hair to his jacket and slowly tugged it from his shoulders until she was able to fling it to the floor.

Their lips still locked together, Rose gently untied his tie, again letting it drop to the floor. Once that was done she began to unbutton his shirt. Her fingers traced his skin, making him moan once more. His hands were now moving over her body, reaching behind the back of her neck to untie the red dress.

"Wait."

He stopped what he was doing almost immediately.

Rose giggled as she saw the disappointment flare in his eyes. "I think it might be better if we did this on the double bed."

"That's a very good point." He concluded. "Trouble is, I don't want to move."

"Well, you're going to have to, if you want me." Rose purred in a soft voice.

"I'm holding you down…I think I can do pretty much what I like."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "I can always resist your advancements."

"You truly believe that?"

"Yes." She replied. "Bed. Now."

The Doctor waggled a finger in front of her. "You can't resist me. What you just said proves that." He replied huskily.

Before she could reply, Rose felt his arms lift her up and then after walking three steps, laid her down on the soft double bed, before he too joined her, pulling her body close to his, there hips touching once more.

He pulled her into another kiss, her hands now busy trying to remove the white shirt he wore, sliding it down his arms before that too was thrown to the side. She felt a slight breeze as the top of her dress was pulled down. He extracted himself from her and slid the dress down her body till it was easy enough to pull from her legs. It tumbled to the floor. She lay on the bed wearing a bra and a pair of knickers. She sat up, moving her hands down to undo the belt of his trousers, followed by the button and zip. Her breathing was coming quicker and within seconds he too wore only a pair of boxers; the other garments littered the floor.

But they did not care. All they wanted was each other.

He slipped his arms round her body, gently easing her back onto the soft cotton of the bed. He kissed the top of her head and then moved down her face, planting soft kisses all over, ending at her collar bone. Rose moaned as she felt a certain part of the Doctor's anatomy press itself between her legs. She shuddered in bliss as his kisses moved down to just above her bra. With his hands he lifted her back up and unclipped her bra, removing it one motion. It hit the lampshade and both fell to the floor. The lamp shattered but that didn't matter. Not now.

She gasped as she felt his tongue flick out against her left breast.

"You're so beautiful." His voice was husky as his tongue, again, rolled over the tip of her nipple, before his mouth engulfed her breast, sucking gently. She moaned in anticipation as he turned his attention to the right one and did the same thing, while his right hand gently caressed the other. The light touches made her tremble. She didn't want this to end.

He moved down to her stomach, rolling his tongue over her body, kissing each sensitive bit he came across. His hands gripped her thighs as he came to the last obstacle. She felt his fingers trembling as he slowly pulled her knickers down. He kissed the inside of her leg, making his way down, repeating the same procedure on the other, before he finally extracted her knickers from her body. She lay there, trembling, waiting…not wanting it to end. He crawled his way back up her body until he was looking down at her.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met," he whispered.

Tears formed in her eyes but she held them back, determined to not cry. She slid herself down, so that her hands came into contact with his boxers. Lowering her eyes she could make out a large bulge that meant only one thing to her. She could scarcely stop herself from shaking as she pulled the boxers off so that they were both naked together.

"Please…" she hadn't wanted to say it, but the emotion she felt now was too strong. She wanted him right now.

He laid himself on his side, beside her, their eyes locked together, his hand trailing her soft skin. She gasped as she felt his fingers gently probe between her legs, stroking the skin that he found.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded, unable to speak. Wrapping her arms around him she pulled him closer. His leg swung over her until his cock was just inches from her entrance. She saw love, compassion and desire in his eyes as he descended.

They both gasped and moaned at the same time as he slowly pushed himself inside her. He held himself up on his hands looking down at her. Neither of them could say a word. Very slowly, he edged himself further in, going as far as he possible could go. Rose let out a loud moan as desire flooded her.

She didn't have to wait long before he began to move. Slow and gentle it was at first, but the more thrusts he did, the more she wanted. She moaned inaudibly. She hooked her legs round his, ensuring that he couldn't move from her. As she got used to him, she too began to move her hips in a timeless dance, getting ever faster and harder as he pounded her. His head was held up as he continued to thrust, not wanting to stop, not wanting to end the dance he had created with her.

She could feel herself coming, knowing that the dance would end soon. She held on, moving faster, letting him lead her, as she felt him move within her. Never had she felt like she was feeling now. Emotions ran through her head consuming all rational thought.

Then, at the same time, they came to their conclusions, both slowing down as the wave of heat that had radiated between them cooled. He was smiling at her as she felt him pull himself slowly out of her, his anatomy now limp.

He collapsed next to her, breathing fast as he tried to calm himself.

He turned his face to look at her, drinking in her beauty.

"That…" he could barely find his voice, "that…was…fantastic."

To be continued…

Please let me know what you think!

Just the epilogue after this, and then this story is done! Woo-hoo!

And the most important question: Does anyone want a sequel? Let me know!

Until next time,

Tenth-Doctor-Fan


	9. Epilogue

THANK YOU! Thank you, thank you to every single person who has read and reviewed this story. And now we are onto the Epilogue. Quite short but there wasn't much left to cover. Details of the sequel are below the epilogue...

* * *

Overstepping the Boundaries 

Epilogue

They had fallen asleep snuggled together in each others arms. As the morning light shined through the window, Rose stirred from her sleep. Beside her the Doctor slept on, arms wrapped round her stomach, keeping her close to his body. She gently nudged him awake, whispering his name gently.

"Doctor?"

He moaned softly against her.

Trying her best to shift round, Rose carefully pressed a kiss to his lips that jarred him from his sleep.

"Naughty."

She grinned. "I just wanted to move."

"Away from me?" he pouted jokingly.

"No. To a more comfortable position." She answered grinning. He released her from his grip and Rose sat up, leaning against the pillows. She saw his eyes roaming over her body and felt her face flush.

"Embarrassed?" he asked, a look of concern in his eyes as he too sat up beside her.

"Sort of," she replied, not sure how to explain what she was thinking, "I…I suppose I never thought that we would do that…sleep together. It feels so weird to think that we have done, and yet…I don't know." She hesitated before continuing again. "I suppose that now it has happened, I can't come to terms with it. I never imagined that I would be in the same bed as you wearing absolutely nothing and then there's that look you're giving me is making me feel embarrassed."

"Well," he traced two fingers over her stomach, "you have got very soft skin…and you do look wonderful…I wonder why we didn't do this any sooner. I was worried of hurting you…of making you think that I only wanted you because I'm male."

She stared at him and he laughed.

"I know what you're thinking. Rose, I would never have made love to you if I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with you. It took me a long time to realise that I did love you and still more time before I realised that nothing was going to stop us being together. Even when I found my way back to you, I kept thinking that I would lose you again…but I'm going to protect you. I know I'll lose you one day…but I want you and I to be happy together before that day comes. And that's what I want to do. Keep you happy. No matter what you think about yourself, there is only one human for me and that is you."

He leaned forward kissing her.

"I understand," she whispered in reply to his speech. "You'll still lose me though."

"Until that day, we'll live our lives to the full."

She grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"That last night was not the first last time." She smiled, watching his mouth fall open. "Well?"

"It's not." His eyes, again, roamed over her body. "Why? Do you want proof?"

She turned towards him, laying on her side. "Why not? We have all the time in the world."

He grinned and pulled her into a long passionate kiss.

But neither realised that their happiness would be short-lived. And that something was coming…something that could rip them apart forever…

**End****Please let me know what you think! Can't believe I've finally finished this but this series is not over. Details below...**

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* * *

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**Title:** Love Roaming Through Time (Working title, have yet to think up a better one).

**Rating: **T, will be due to violence and swearing.

**Genre:** Angst, adventure, mystery and of course, romance. ;-)

**Summary: **A mysterious source of energy brings the Doctor and Jack Harkness face to face, but the reunion is short lived when Rose's life is threatened. Can the Doctor, along with Torchwood work together to save her before he loses Rose forever? And will the Doctor be able to decipher the mysterious four words, spoken to him by the Face of Boe?

**Pairing:**Ten/Rose.

**Characters: **Ten, Rose, Mickey, Martha, Jack Harkness and his Torchwood Team, plus some evil aliens with weird names, probably.

The first two chapters have already been written, since this story was originally going to be the sequel to 'Red Dragon' but I decided to write about how Rose and the Doctor got together first. But I do need to edit the first two chapters. Also I'll be going on holiday at the end of June and won't be back for three weeks, so I may post before I leave or may not and wait till I come back.

But does anyone have a good title they can pitch me? Since I don't think the current title (Love Roaming Through Time) works well with the summary of the story.

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**A really big thank you to everyone who has followed this little series since the beginning. And I hope you enjoyed the epilogue and will enjoy the sequel too (whenever I begin to post it)!**

**Signing out of this story,**

**Tenth-Doctor-Fan**


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